According to the All Criminal Justice Schools website, jobs in legal, correctional and law enforcement are hot commodities in this job market and by having a criminal justice degree, you have an advantage over non-college graduates and might even get hiring preference over non-criminal justice degree holders. Additionally, certain state and federal agencies might require a degree in criminal justice.
College graduates have been shown to make more money than non-college graduates. Someone with a four-year criminal justice degree has the potential to start at a higher salary than someone with an associate's degree in criminal justice or another degree.
With professors, fellow students and access to guest speakers and other individuals working in the field, criminal justice majors have a ready-made network of people to help with references, job prospects and internships. The people you meet will give you valuable advice that you might not have otherwise had access to.
A degree in criminal justice will teach you valuable knowledge that can be applied to other aspects of your life. For example, taking a class in domestic violence or sex crimes might teach you survival techniques and a courts class might help you understand laws. Acquiring a criminal justice degree requires critical thinking, reading and writing skills and communication, which is useful no matter what your job might be.
According to the Criminal Justice Majors website, criminal justice degrees are multidisciplinary. You have the option of going on to law school, graduate school or any other related job/degree choice, such as social work, psychology or science. This makes a criminal justice degree advantageous as a stepping stone to future choices.